Total Church, Gospel Ministry and Adoption | ABBA Fund Blog

It is interesting that the act of adopting, doing foster care, or going overseas to care for orphans is often seen as a “great act of service” involving great sacrifice. I think in light of this quote and in light of God’s heart and the Gospel that these acts for the church ought to be seen as “ordinary things.” God has called us and commanded us to care for orphans. Our obedience to this surely ought to be the “ordinary activity” of our lives as His people. Now, if you want to argue that caring for orphans really is “great” then it is not not because they involve great sacrifice but because they are great manifestations of a great Gospel and there is great joy involved in living this way. If that is what we mean by “great” then I will accept that; but other than that, I would love to see adoption and foster care as something done by “ordinary people doing ordinary things with gospel intentionality.”

Todd Engstrom

Although I was raised in the church and had a knowledge of God, I didn’t embrace Jesus until I heard gospel preached and lived out by some Young Life leaders. God has proven faithful and good to me since that day, even in great suffering and loss. I have learned to treasure Romans 8:28 as a wellspring of hope and truth.
God has blessed me with an amazing wife (Olivia), three sons (Micah, Hudson and Owen) and a daughter (Emmaline). Growing up in the northwest, the thought never crossed my mind that I would have four children who are native Texans. Despite landing in the south, I still watch Notre Dame games with my children every Saturday in hopes they will land at my alma mater.